New Game
by MODunit
Summary: SPOILER WARNING. "That's the point of experimentation. Mix stuff together and see what happens."
1. Prologue

Prologue: End of the End

Given time, one can think of many things. In fact, it is possible to write three entire novels in one's head given ample time. I've even been able to reflect on my entire life. Since I had so much free time now. Never before was I able to think so much.

I was such a fool to be kind to the one person who I hated more than anything. He was just so... Arrogant. A real joke. I hated him more than the voices that whispered to me and still whisper to me now. I hated him more than any wound. He was lower than the dirt but I took pity on him. I wondered what happened to him over my new found free time. I recently realized I had the power to find out.

Power... Such a funny word to use in my predicament, isn't it? I have limitless power and yet... no power at the same time. It's quite strange. I miss not having any power at all. At least then I was free.

I can't say I hate that man anymore. I dislike him and all the things he did but I don't hate him much. He didn't seem too bad... Once I really met him face to face. He was almost pathetic. Not the arrogant creature I had considered him to be.

No. What I hate now. No. Loath is a better word. What I loath now is this place... This hell I let myself get trapped in. I loath the time that passes by. I loath the horrible things that have taken residence in my brain. And I absolutely LOATH that awful ragtime music playing over and over and over! I hate it! I have been trapped in hell! All because I wanted to be kind!

I've had plenty of time to think and I've come up with many ideas. I've done some serious mental calculations in a pathetic attempt to ease my pain. I've actually thought of some pretty interesting experiments that I can't wait to try out. One I might actually be able to try soon. I just have to get the... test subjects. I've actually found a few participants that might make it interesting. All that's left is the catalyst. The most important part of any reaction.

And I know just the arrogant person to be that catalyst...

Let's play a game shall we, MAXWELL?

It's called "Don't Starve".


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One: The Game Begins**

"I'M FREE! HAHA! I'M FINALLY FREE!"

The joyous voice echoed for miles, scaring birds and rabbits away with it's volume. Maxwell danced around excitedly, kicking up dirt. He sounded like he just won the lottery. "I'm free! I'm free!" he screams happily to the sky. He laughed and brushed off his handsome suit and finally got a good look at his surroundings. He expression turned confused, angry, and dark as he realized where in the world he was.

"I'm... Why the hell am I still here?" Maxwell snarled. "Why didn't I go home?" He stomped, snapping a stick under his fancy black shoes. He swiped his hand over his face in frustration with another deep growl.

"Well, well, well," a voice purred from the shadows and trees surrounding Maxwell. "Looks like it's my turn to be king!"

Maxwell whipped around, his trusty Dark Sword in hand, and stared into the nothing behind him. He swore he heard a familiar voice behind him. All that could be heard was the wind, weaving it's way through the pine trees. No voice. No body.

Maxwell, deciding he would have to survive for a little while, turned and began to walk into the dark pine forest. As he walked, he mumbled to himself, "I'll just catch some rabbits. I watched that little Wilson do it. If that scientist can survive on berries and rabbits, so can I. I am Maxwell. I can do anything better than him."

* * *

"Sure beats darkness," Maxwell mutters, warming his hands by the poorly constructed campfire. He had only managed to catch one rabbit during the whole day and he spent most of his time shouting at a fat Gobbler that devoured several berry bushes. The only food he even had was one rabbit and three carrots, all of which he had hastily cooked and was now debating if the meat was actually safe to eat.

As he munched on the carrots, Maxwell peered into the darkness around the fire. So many strange noises echoed through the night. The calls of the hounds and the spiders' dreadful hissing didn't bother Maxwell one bit. He was used to terrifying sounds by now, having been trapped in the Nightmare Throne for so long. Maybe he was already a little insane. He didn't care of course. All he cared about was finished what he had started and that was getting off this stupid island. All he cared about was the fine wine and classy living that he had been kept from for so long.

Of course, he had to survive the hostile world he was in first.

"I wonder if Charlie is out there somewhere," he mumbled, tossing a log on the fire to keep it from going out. Maxwell wasn't afraid of the dark or of the Grue, aka Charlie. He just preferred to having the ability to see and going without some kind of fire or torch wasn't going to happen. Maxwell would have light even if he had to start a forest fire.

Just as he had begun nodding off, a loud frustrated shriek stirred him into alertness. Maxwell stood and scanned his dim surroundings. Nothing but the trees. He shrugged, dismissing it as an angry Tallbird scaring something away from its nest. Then the shriek arose again, the words much clearer, "I HATE this STUPID forest! I am SICK of these DUMB TREES!"

Maxwell saw a moving light growing brighter as it came in his direction. It wasn't a firefly. Much to bright to be a firefly. It was a torch. And carrying that torch, was a very angry looking young lady with messy black hair and muddy, dirty clothes. She stomped towards Maxwell's little camp and doesn't seem to noticed Maxwell was even there.

She looked up from her glaring at the mud on her shoes and jumped back in surprise. Waving her torch in front of her, she shouted, "Who are you?! Where am I?! Did you drag me here?! I demand to know!"

Maxwell held his hands up and gave the girl his most suave smile. "Listen, pal, I didn't have anything to do with you coming here and I have no idea where 'here' even is," he explained smoothly. "But the name's Maxwell. Pleasure's all mine." He offered a hand shake to the girl.

She raised an eyebrow and pushed his hand away as if it was diseased. "My name is Willow," she said, an air of distrust in her voice. "And I am not your pal."

Maxwell shook his head, still grinning. "If you say so." He gestured at the campfire and said, "You're welcome to join me in surviving in this dump. I do like company."

Willow took it a slightly different way than intended. "Listen here! Don't you get any funny ideas, Mister! I'll have too much fun burning that smirk off your face!" she snapped, moving to the other side of the fire. She glared at Maxwell from behind the protective flames.

Maxwell sighed, "That's not what I meant but suit yourself." He sat down on his side of the fire and rubbed his chin. "So Willow, are you gonna help me get out of here?"

There was a long silence before she answered. "Only if you swear that you won't make me do all the work. And if you'll help me get out of here too."

Maxwell grinned. "I swear."

"Good. Don't make me regret this."


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two: Of Tallbirds and Charlie**

"So... You were in control of this place and now you're not?" Willow asked, tossing an unlit torch between her hands.

Maxwell paused his chopping off a nearby pine tree and wiped his arm across his forehead. Physical labor was not something he was accustomed to. He did not like it. At all.

"Yes. I even made it snow whenever I wanted," he replied with a sigh. Now that he thought about it, he kind of missed the power he had. The power to make life difficult for that little scientist. It was Maxwell's only regret really. Other than that, he was glad to be off that hellish throne.

Willow's concentrating frown remained constant. "I'm glad you aren't in control anymore," she grumbled. "That would've been more annoying than dealing with you now."

Maxwell rolled his eyes, hefting the roughly cut logs onto his shoulders. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, pal," he mumbled. "Let's get back to the campfire. It's almost evening. Charlie will be waking up soon."

Willow picked her new backpack off the ground and followed after the well-dressed man. She really didn't trust him but it was useful to have someone else chop firewood. Even if he wasn't all that strong.

"Who is Charlie anyway?" she questioned Maxwell when they had reached their tiny, temporary 'campsite'. "Some pet of yours?"

Maxwell set the logs into a chest and looked over his shoulder at Willow, one eyebrow raised. "Oh no. Charlie isn't a pet. He's more like a friend."

"What's he look like?"

"I don't know. I've never actually seen what he looks like," he said, shrugging. "He doesn't like light though. You'd make an easy meal for him if you didn't have a light source with you."

Willow flinched, scowling at Maxwell. His tone was far too casual for what he was saying. He almost sounded amused with the idea of her getting eaten by some invisible monster he called 'Charlie'. She continued to glare hatefully and put all of her anger and annoyance into lighting the fire. Watching the flames grow almost uncontrollably large calmed her down.

It was for her fire-starting habits that Maxwell chose an area mostly devoid of trees to make their campsite. He did not want her burning down an entire forest with her shenanigans. That would be dangerous.

"I'm sure Charlie wouldn't find you very appetizing though," Maxwell continued while munching on a few berries he had found. "You'd probably taste like burnt pork."

"Well that's a relief," Willow snapped with plenty of sarcasm.

"Glad to offer some comfort," Maxwell hissed back.

Willow pinched the bridge of her nose and growled to herself. It had only been one day and she was already beginning to regret teaming up with that devil of a man. He was a creep, annoying, he insulted her whenever the opportunity presented itself...

Maxwell had similar thoughts about her. She was violent, annoying, and she seemed to look for new ways to insult him. It infuriated him. He never really showed his annoyance towards her though. He would be out of a meat shield if he got angry and chased her off now. As much as they both hated each other, they wanted to leave so badly that they had no choice but to put up with each other. Even if it was proving infuriatingly difficult.

As the night went on, Willow kept the fire going while Maxwell dozed, staring into the flames. Willow glanced over her shoulder into the darkness. She felt like she was being watched. It was unnerving at night and what Maxwell had said about 'Charlie' didn't help.

"Darn it... How can he be so calm about all this?" Willow muttered to herself, poking the fire with a stick. "He's sooo creepy..."

"I can hear you," Maxwell spoke up, making Willow jump slightly. He was sitting cross-legged with his elbows resting on his knees and his head in his hands. His eyes were closed but it was obvious that he wasn't sleeping.

This only made Willow more creeped out. For the rest of the night, she refused to close her eyes longer than the time it to to blink.

* * *

Morning came around to mark the beginning of day two of Willow's dealings with Maxwell. She got an early start and sneaked away to look for some berries. She hoped she could catch a rabbit too. She got a bit more than she bargained for though.

A large blue egg on the edge of a grassy plains area caught the pyromaniac's attention. The egg sat in a nest made of what looked like grass and Beefalo hair. A single black feather rested beside the nest. Willow examined the egg closely, tapping on it with her knuckles. It was even bigger up close and it was rather warm. Whatever had laid the egg must have recently been sitting on it.

"I don't know any bird that could lay an egg this big," Willow murmured. "I wonder if Maxwell knows what it is. Maybe I should take it back with me."

There was a sudden loud squawk behind Willow as a tall shadow loomed over her. The girl turned slowly and gazed in surprise at the round black, one-eyed, long-legged bird that towered over her. The bird's big eye glared down in anger.

It's eye suddenly became blood shot and red. It let out a wild shriek and lunged at Willow. She barely managed to dodge, the bird's beak missing her foot by an inch.

She bolted, between the bird's thin legs and towards the camp, as fast as her legs could carry her. The bird pursued her, almost twice as fast as she was. It's long legs carried it farther in a single stride.

"Maxwell! Maxwell!" Willow screamed as the camp came into view. "Some big bird is chasing me! Help!"

Maxwell, wide awake at this time, jumped in surprise when the huge bird came stomping after Willow. He shook his head and sighed, brandishing his Night Sword. "Throw a stick at it or something. Don't just run away!" he grumbled.

In a few minutes, the bird was slain and all it took was one torch, several pecks to the head for both of them, and a few whacks with Maxwell's sword. As the two were cleaning up the mess, Maxwell could have sworn he could hear someone laughing. He knew it wasn't Willow. She hardly ever laughs unless she just set something on fire.

"What was that thing?" Willow griped, picking up a handful of meat to be cooked.

"Pal of mine called it a 'Tallbird'," Maxwell replied, making a face at is now ruined clothes. "They're even worse when there's more than one. You must've gotten too close to its egg."

Willow glanced at Maxwell and noticed the look on his face that asked, 'Well did you?'. She looked up at the sky innocently, not meeting his gaze again. "You think it's gonna rain?" she asked to no one in particular.

Maxwell didn't answer. He simply rolled his eyes and went off to collect firewood.


End file.
